Prior to the conception and development of the present invention, automated cow milking machines and milking robots, as are generally well known in the prior art, have been used on small farms and in settings where there are generally only a few cows to milk. Unfortunately, in larger settings, use of such automated cow milking machines and milking robots has been unsuccessful due to the fact that such automated milking machines and milking robots are set up for use on a voluntary basis which makes it extremely difficult to keep a systematic approach to the dairy and milking operations.
Specifically of interest to the present invention are the following: Ornerfers, U.S. Pat. No. 7,296,535, discloses a method of automatically milking animals which move freely in an area to visit individually a milking parlor having an automatic milking machine or milking robot.
Van den Berg, U.S. Pat. No. 7,270,078, discloses an assembly for simultaneously feeding and automatically milking animals including a feeding system with a movable feed platform and a drive unit for driving the feed platform.
Sjolund, U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,458, discloses a milking system including a milking stall which an animal may visit to be milked automatically. The milking stall has an animal identifier; a gate controller for opening entry and exit gates; and a milking machine. The milking system may also include a master computer adapted to hold a database of milking animals capable of visiting the milking stall, to identify a milking animal from the animal identifier, and to control the gate controller, and the milking machine.
Eriksson, U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,516, discloses a rotary parlour for milking of animals. The parlour comprises a rotary platform arranged to constitute a support surface for the animals, stalling means arranged to divide the platform into stalls for receiving individual animals, driving means arranged to rotate the platform and milking means arranged to be attached to the animals.
Van Der Lely, U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,219 discloses an apparatus for milking animals, such as cows, comprising a movable floor which carries four milking compartments. Each milking compartment has a computer controlled milking robot.
Vosyka, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,033, discloses a mobile arrangement for group stabling and treatment of milk cows in rectangular large-capacity cow-houses in which such cows are confiningly stabled and transported for milking. In two cow-house bays which are mirror images of each other, and which are separated one from the other by a milking station and a gridded channel for receiving dung, there are rails for seating movable platforms with individual stabling stands limited by box railings. The platforms in each bay move in paths which are a mirror image of the other; the platforms of the two bays move in parallel paths in the same direction on opposite sides of the milking and treating stations, as well as on opposite sides of the gridded channel.